We were able to open today but only for a few hours thanks to the intrepid Lisa O‘Brien, who usually walks or bikes to work at our shop at 6929 Laurel Avenue. She is our snow person, living within walking distance and most important willing to help out as she can in the store, when others can’t get there, in addition to her regular shift.

Tomorrow she and her husband, sister and mother are going to Boston, to visit another sister who has been under siege from the relentless Boston snows for a long time. Lisa had three hours for us. In addition to serving the intrepid customers who made it through the door, she spent the time fixing the broken jewelry of her Boston sister. Worked out great for all of us.

I am the other walking distance staff member at S & A Beads. So this morning Kathleen and I and our granddaughter’s dog, a Beagle named Waffle, so-called for the color of his fur, hiked to the shop, and spent some hours there. Fortunately, all the hardy souls that wandered in the shop liked dogs, in particular beagles. Which was a good thing. I told Waffle that he had NO FUTURE in retail. Although he is very interested in and very friendly to customers, which is a good quality for a sales person, he tends to howl inappropriately, which is definitely a negative in closing sales. He also paces and stares out the front door of the shop. We all abandoned the field around 2:30, at the urging of our daughter and General Manager, Emily. Kathleen concurred. We had a lovely walk back home, though chillier than the morning walk.

Friday, March 6, our people made it in. Meanwhile, our web store is lots of fun. www.beadstore.com . Happy to report views are up in this weather. Lots of window shopping (and Apple shopping as well) from the comfort of home.

Psst! Come closer. I have a secret to whisper. Your ears are bored. They are getting tired of the same pair of earrings, every day, week after week, every outfit, sometimes year after year. Oh we know you’ve loved them since the day you first held them up to your ears. And they will always be a part of your personal repertoire. But a little variety might perk up your ears and your spirits.

To drive home this point the artists at S & A Beads will create and display for sale one pair of earrings every day in the month of June. We will be posting to Facebook and Instagram. Come, look, try, maybe buy, or maybe just be inspired to make your own.

Day 1in store artist: Cheryl Moody

Day 2in store artist: Kimberly Arnold

Day 3in store artist: Emily Silverman

Day 4in store artist: Carlista Martin

Day 5in store artist: Cheryl Moody

Day 6in store artist: Kimberly Arnold

Day 7in store artist: Carlista Martin

Day 8in store artist: Kimberly Arnold

Day 9in store artist: Cheryl Moody

Day 10in store artist: Lisa O'Brien

Day 11in store artist: Lisa O'Brien

Day 12in store artist: Carlista Martin

Day 13in store artist: Cheryl Moody

Day 14in store artist: Emily Silverman

Day 15in store artist: Carlista Martin

Day 16in store artist: Kimberly Arnold

Day 17in store artist: Lisa O'Brien

Day 18in store artist: Emily Silverman

Day 19in store artist: Carlista Martin

Day 20in store artist: Kimberly Arnold

Day 21in store artist: Lisa O'Brien

Day 22in store artist: Cheryl Moody

Day 23in store artist: Carlista Martin

Day 24in store artist: Emily Silverman

Day 25in store artist: Lisa O'Brien

Day 26in store artist: Emily Silverman

Day 27in store artist: Cheryl Moody

Day 28in store artist: Emily Silverman

Day 29in store artist: Cheryl Moody

Day 30in store artist: Emily Silverman

The team at S&A Beads is comprised of a well-rounded group of talented artists of all art forms, including music! Lisa, one of the "bead ladies" you will find in store is bass guitarist and vocalist in the band GrooveQuest which she and her husband, Steve co-lead. When you attend a GrooveQuest show this is what you can expect from Lisa:

If you stumble into Clyde's Restaurant at Mark Center (Alexandria, VA) on a Saturday night you will likely find her there with the band playing rock n' roll songs from the 50's, 60's and 70's including; Elvis, Van Morrison and B.B. King classics. Take a look at all the hits in their repertoire.

Their motto is "From the Heart, from the Soul, Essential Spirit of Rock and Rollthrough the Groove to You!"

Take a look at their schedule to find your opportunity to cheer Lisa and GrooveQuest on! Stay posted to view more news about our bead ladies at S&A Beads. Our staff members are active in the DC Metro community with various arts involvements.

Wisdom, Wishes, and Love . . . One Bead at a Time

By Lisa O’Brien, S&A Sales Associate

A bead blessing ceremony can add heart-felt and enduring significance to your event. Traditionally this type of “ceremony” is conducted for expectant mothers, but it can be used at any gathering intended to honor any one . . . or any thing.

I incorporated a bead blessing ceremony into a baby shower for my daughter -in-law, Kelly. Typically, guests are asked to bring a bead to the event. However, in this case, I took advantage of my employment with S&A Beads and borrowed a large plastic container filled with beads. As the guests arrived, I gave them the container and asked them to make their selection.

When it was time for the ceremony, the guests took turns presenting their beads to Kelly with some words of encouragement or advice. It was wonderful how the beads “spoke” to many guests, helping them formulate their words of wisdom.

After the shower, I asked Cheryl Moody, S&A’s senior designer, to string the beads. Because they were irregular in shape and hole size, she strung the beads with knotting cord and then connected the knotting cord to a piece of soft suede. Cheryl took care to ensure the final strand was as tactile as possible.

I don’t expect that Kelly will wear these beads as a necklace. I do hope that she will keep them close as a remembrance of the wisdom, wishes, and love of her family and friends. Want to host a bead blessing ceremony? Contact S&A Beads. We can help you plan the ceremony, and, after the event, string your beads for an enduring keepsake.

Three-year-old Rowan was thrilled to have the job of collecting the beads in a brass bowl. The bowl emanated a cheerful ker-plunk each time a bead was added.